Piano.



PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

E. E. WALTER.

PIANO.

u'rmoulon FILED APR. s. 1907.

Olllllllillll IIII HI lli -ill UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER E. WALTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PIANO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Application filed April 8, 1907. Serial No. 367,001.

My invention relates in general to pianos,

and particularly to piano casings.

At the present time piano casings are universally made of wood coated with a varnish finish. As both wood and varnish are injuriusly affected by moisture and by changes intemperature, alargel majority of the defects in and objections to pianos are to the casings, as the sound producing mechanism has been so perfected as to give rise to little trouble. The varnish checks or cracks when subjected to atmospheric changes, and blisters when exposed to heat. The wood shrinks when heated, and swells when too moist, thereby cracking the finish. In order to reduce as far as possible injuries to the casings, a great deal of time is expended in their manufacture-in properly seasoning the wood and applying the finish.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a casing for pianos, and similar musical instruments, which will be attractive in appearance and at the same time free from the objections incident to varnish-finished wood casings.

A further object of my invention is to provide a piano casing which will be simple, and at'the same time strong and durable in construction, which may be quickly and economically manufactured, and the attractiveness of the appearance of which will not be in1- paired either by changes in temperature or atmospheric conditions.

My invention may be generally described as consisting of an attractively finished piano casing comprising a pressed sheet metal front, a sheet metal top, anda sheet metal back frame composed of top and bottom rails united by posts formed of sheet metal.

My invention will be more fully described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same is illustrated as embodied in a convenient and practical form, and in which Figure 1 is a rear elevational view; Fig. 2 a vertical sectional view at the middle of the keyboard; Fig. 3 an enlarged vertical sectional view, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1

through the back of the casing, and showing the usual pin-block supported thereby Fig. 4 an end elevational view; and Figs. 5 and 6 perspective detail views of one of the posts of the back of the casing.

The same reference characters are designate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Reference character A designates the upper portion of the front of the casing, While' reference letter B designates the fall board;

Reference letter O indicates the key-bed, and D the bottom front board.

E designates one of the posts interposed .which may be conveniently hinged at its rear edge to the adjacent edge of the angular top rail H of the back of the casing. The top rail H is secured to the .up er ends of vertical posts H, the lower ends of such posts being secured to the bottom rail H2 of the back of the casing. The osts H are made of sheet metal, preferably bent into channel form, the upper ends of the side flanges of the channel being bent inwardly to sup ort the usual pin block K. The upper en s of the posts are preferably offset inwardly, as indicated by the reference character 71, so as to underlie the top rail H, while the lower ends of the posts are also offset inwardly as indicated by the reference character h3 to underlie the bottom rail H2, thereby permitting the outer surfaces of the posts to lie flush with the surfaces of the top and bottoni rails. The upward projecting ends 71,2 of the posts H are riveted to the horizontal angleiron rail k, within which is supported the pin block K.

The sheet metal casing may be coated with any desired finish, and as such finish may be baked, it is not cracked by the changes in temperature, and being upon metal it is not subjected to injury as is the case when the finish is upon wood, which expands and contracts as the atmospheric conditions vary.

By constructing a piano casing of metal in the manner above described, the tone of the used tol instrument is not injurieusly affected, while the appearance of the casing is improved and it is rendered more durable.

From the foregoing description, it will be observed that I have invented an improved piano casing, which is simple, efficient and economical in construction, can be made in a comparatively short time, and will have a ermanently attractive appearance. It will he further evident that by my improved casing the weight of a piano is lessened and the handling of it rendered less difficult, while at the same time its strength is increased.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tO secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a piano casing, a pressed sheet metal front, a metal back frame comprising top and bottom rails, posts connecting said rails, and a pin block, the said top rail extending continuously above and behind the said pin block.

2. A piano casing comprising sheet metal top and side walls, an angular metal rear rail near the top, a pin block supported within said rail, an angular metal rear bottom rail, sheet metal posts interposed between said rails and having flanges adjacent the upper ends thereof upon which the said Iirst mentioned rail rests.

3. ln a piano casing, the combination with a pressed sheet metal front, ol" a sheet metal back -frame comprising top and bottom rails, posts connecting` said rails, the upper ends o'l said posts having flanges, and a pin block supported within the top rail upon said flanges.

4. A piano casing, comprising a pressed sheet metal front, sheet metal side walls, a back 'lramc having top and bottom metal horizontal members with vertical metal membersextending between them, and a pin block inclosed above and behind by said top horizontal member.

ELMER E. WALTER. lVitnesses:

NORMAN A. STREET, GEO. L. WILKINSON. 

